Vince Connelly (Stirling, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes the Census and Statistics Amendment (Statistical Information) Regulations 2020 tabled in Parliament on 11 February 2020 seek to ask a question in the 2021 census about whether someone has served in the Australian Defence Force (ADF); and

(2) recognises that having a census question around the ADF service will:

(a) for the first time, give a complete picture of the number of veterans in Australia; and

(b) allow governments of all levels to deliver the right services in the right areas to support veterans and their families.

We have taken great strides over the course of this government to make seismic improvements in the way that we support those who have served our wonderful country. As a veteran myself, and being the husband to another veteran, I'm honoured today to move this motion. I speak on behalf of fellow veterans to first make this point: veterans in our community do not expect any treatment different to or better than anyone else in society. It is worth noting, though, that the conditions of service and the nature of service do necessitate some very specific support measures.

I've witnessed firsthand the passion of our Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, for supporting veterans. In fact, in just the third week that I was here in this place, the Prime Minister convened a roundtable, and he brought to that table the relevant ministers—the Minister for Defence, the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Defence Personnel, and the Minister for Health—the chief of Australia's Defence Force and the Secretary of the Department of Veterans' Affairs. The Prime Minister posed to us this one simple but very important question: what more can we be doing for our veterans?

Since its inception, this government has been continuing to do more for veterans. This has included structural changes such as automatically signing up new members of the Australian Defence Force to the Department of Veterans' Affairs. Similarly, when a defence member separates from defence, they are automatically issued with a white card, which enables them to access free mental health care for the rest of their lives. Another initiative is that the term 'veteran' is now being ascribed to anybody who has served even a single day in full-time service in ADF uniform. This most recent change will include the collection of data about veterans using the census.

Following my full-time Army service, I spent about a decade in the business environment. One of the many wonderful lessons I learned in business is that you cannot improve something which you do not measure. Up to this point, we really haven't measured much about veterans. Scott Morrison continues to lead a government dedicated to shaping responses based on reality which is informed by the gathering of data, and he has shown a willingness to make decisions based on that data. This change is a logical next step in the progression of our commitment towards Australian veterans and a further sign of the sincerity of our efforts, in that we are willing to ask the right questions. Census data will provide a better understanding of reality and will help us to tailor services at the right time, in the right areas and to the right people. It will also enable federal, state and territory governments and related agencies to better target and improve services and support. Oddly enough, ex service organisations, because of their outreach and their networks, have often been able to achieve an even greater reach into the veteran community than the Department of Veterans' Affairs. Organisations like the Veterans Transition Centre in Jarrahdale and Legacy WA, as well as individuals like Karyn Hinder, who runs Working Spirit to help veterans find jobs, are helping veterans who may have fallen through some of the more formalised cracks. Inherently and objectively, that is a good thing, but this new census data will help DVA, the Department of Veterans' Affairs, to better identify where those veterans are, what their circumstances are and what support they may require. It is, after all, one of the very highest responsibilities of a citizen to serve and protect their country. It's an equally and incredibly important role of society to support those veterans when they transition and to support their health and wellbeing.

I strongly endorse this motion. I look forward to understanding more and better supporting our wonderful veteran community.

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